What People Do
by Illabye
Summary: When you see that perfect child, you can't help but be envious.


When you see that perfect child, you can't help but be envious.

What People Do

If she were to be honest it was because she'd been jealous. She'd seen the family of two a few times already. Mostly on the account of Light being sick. They'd come in twice a month it seemed. Or maybe she just remembered them more because of her envy.

The little boys bright chestnut hair, cherubic face, and caramel sparkling doll-eyes. The cute boy who had everyone's attention as soon as he entered the drop-in center. She hadn't found it fair. This street walker gifted with every mother's dream when she had trouble carrying even one to term; even after all the proper care.

She purposely blinded herself to the obvious love the _mother_ had for her Light. To the genuine worry, every time they were forced to head to the clinic. She, much like her co-workers, felt the woman didn't deserve the child. She never felt more strongly after Light came in with a broken wrist, a dark fist-shaped bruise along his jaw line. She stared with accusing eyes that the mother shied away from. She didn't acknowledge the fact the mother was covering a set of black eyes with sunglasses. The wrist she was favoring, or the limp she couldn't quite hide. As far as she was concerned, this was her fault. In fact, just a phone call and she'd have child services over.

Sachiko abruptly stopped the filing of her paper work.

Well, maybe not the child services per se. Digging through her pockets, she fished out a business card, well worn and a bit frayed. She kept it on her person at all times for one very good reason. The temptation.

After her last miscarriage the year before, her nurse, having been there for the two previous, tentatively gave her the number to an underground organization that handled seedy adoptions. She didn't know what to do at the time but to take it. Appalled, in the following weeks, that she'd done so at all.

It was pure coincidence that Soichiro caught her staring at it before she'd been about to chuck it. He must have seen the look in her eyes, must have been feeling what she'd been feeling at the loss of their last child. Because she'd been absolutely shocked to hear him ask her if it was what she wanted. She couldn't help the flash of hope that had gone through her then. That he would allow it. Even though, if caught, it would mess up his career. Would ruin them entirely because of the scandal. But she so very much wanted a child. Soichiro had said enough when he gave her his blessing to give the call when she so desired.

They'd only do it once.

That she was sure of.

As she fingered the business card she was startled to find that she was going to do it. When she got home tonight she was going to give the call.

_Ten Years Later_

"Welcome home honey." she greeted with a smile on her face. "How was school today?"

Light returned her smile before handing over his test.

"It was good. I'm going to go up to my room to study."

"I'll call you when dinner's ready."

He nodded his okay as he continued to walk, heading for the stairs, his mother's excitement over his perfect score following him as he went. As soon as he was safely in his room, he slumped onto his bed. Breathing slowly, he listened for any sign that Sayu was going to burst into his room to bug him. With no sign of her incoming disruption he cautiously reached under his pillow for the one item he considered precious above all.

What he pulled out was a small, soft, powder blue ball of cloth.

Rolling onto his back he took a moment to just feel the cashmere like material. When he was absolutely sure no one was going to disturb him he set to unwrapping it. A soon as it was opened a scent seemed to wrap around him. The scent a mix of perfumes he had stumbled upon after a shopping trip with his mom. With saved up allowance he had bought the rather cheap bottles of perfume and mixed it to his liking. Breathing in deeply, he sighed, unknowingly relaxing into his plush bedding. He wiped his thumb almost reverently against plastic. Wrapped carefully within the handkerchief was a hair clip. It was old, generic, plain black with the faintest etch of a butterfly on it's tip. He held it close, curling up on his side as if to protect it from the world.

He fell asleep shortly after with a word whispering on his breath.

"_Mama_."

A/N

Aww, even _I_ was touched rereading that last part, and I _wrote_ this. I feel bad for Light. XD Awesome.

I hope you enjoyed the read! What are your thoughts? This idea's been bugging me awhile and originally I was going to have Soichiro kill the mom and make it look like an accident. But that wouldn't have worked out. So this is how it played out. In the end I made this shorter than I'd planned. I still think it's missing something though. This may tie into another story that I have planned.

But until then this is a stand alone one-shot.

:)


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